Saturday, May 11, 2013

Participants: Alan Collins (Organiser), John Graff (Organiser), Sue Abbotts, Xenia Dennett, Stewart Ford, Alison Gye, William Gye, Jane Hogben, Ross Hogben, John Lillywhite, Dan Mantle, Michael Morcombe, Simon Nevill, Glen Pacey, Ray Turnbull, John WeigelConditions: Seas were forecast to be around 1m, with swell to 2-3m, and light NE’ly winds. Conditions were generally as forecast, but the wind was light-moderate from the SE throughout the day. Overall, conditions were fairly typical for an Albany tripReportFollowing on from a successful Saturday trip, this was another excellent trip with at least 13 tubenose species recorded, highlighted by a pair of Sooty Albatross and a Black-bellied Storm-Petrel, along with another South Polar Skua.

The second Sooty Albatross of the day. The buffy collar indicates an immature bird.

Participants: Alan Collins (Organiser), John Graff (Organiser), Sue Abbotts, Xenia Dennett, Stewart Ford, Peter Huggins, Darryl Jones, John Lillywhite, Dan Mantle, Michael Morcombe, Simon Nevill, Glen Pacey, Jon Pridham, Ray Turnbull, John WeigelConditions: Seas were forecast to 1m, with swell 1.5-2.5m, and light SE’ly winds. Conditions were reasonably close to the forecast though it was a little rougher in the morning, even within King George Sound, flattening through the day.ReportThis was an excellent trip - 11 tubenose species were seen, but it was the skuas and terns that provided the major highlights with three South Polar Skuas, a breeding plumaged Arctic Tern, and at least one Long-tailed Jaeger seen.

The second South Polar Skua seen on the day. A dark bird but note the overall slimmer build (cf. Brown), very dark underwing lining, and slight pale nape.

Friday, May 3, 2013

For visiting birders seeking the 15 bird species endemic to south-west Western Australia, Western Wattlebird Anthochaera lunulata may well be one of the first endemics you see after stepping off the plane. Or, as at least one recent experience has shown, it might be one of the last you see before you leave the state cursing it! This enigmatic species also has the annoying habit of suddenly disappearing from the Perth metropolitan area the week before the WA Twitchathon in early December. It seems that the patchy distribution and erratic local movements of Western Wattlebird are mysterious to say the least.

The range of Western Wattlebird stretches from Geraldton to Israelite Bay, though rarely inland of Great Southern Hwy north of the Stirling Ranges. But within this range, as noted by Serventy & Whittell [1], they are ‘rather local in distribution’. A recent straw poll on the local birdswa mailing list revealed they are unknown in some Perth gardens, despite being common nearby. In some areas, at some times of the year – one contributor suggested autumn - they can become noticeably common and vocal in suburban gardens, though any pattern of local movement seems hard to pin down. In the Perth hills (and elsewhere, eg. Yanchep) they seem associated with flowering Parrotbush Banksia (Dryandra) sessilis; in coastal plain Banksia woodland they are possibly (anecdotally) associated with the long-flowering Woollybush Adenanthos sericeus - both fairly common plants. Yet in the 1985 Perth Metropolitan Bird Project surveys [2] they were ‘often present’ at only 18 metro sites, and no seasonal fluctuation was detected. In other words, they are found where you find them!